A growing number of companies are suspending advertising on X, including Disney. This move follows Elon Musk's endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory, sparking a broader advertiser backlash.
Suspending Ads on X
An expanding group of companies has announced the suspension of their advertising on X, the rebranded Twitter platform. Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, including CNN, confirmed on Friday that they have joined the list of advertisers pausing spending on the platform.
Engadget reported that this move by the major film and television entity signifies a deepening reaction from advertisers against X, prompted by the platform's owner Elon Musk expressing support for an antisemitic conspiracy theory associated with White supremacists.
The decision by Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery follows the lead of Apple, Lionsgate, and IBM in pausing their advertising activities.
Joining Other Companies
Lionsgate's decision to suspend advertising on X, as confirmed by a company spokesperson to CNN, came without a specified reason and the exact amount initially allocated for advertising on the platform was undisclosed.
Meanwhile, Apple has suspended its advertising activities on the concise messaging platform, mirroring IBM's recent decision to halt all advertising on X. IBM took this action after discovering its ads appearing alongside pro-Nazi content, a situation the company found objectionable.
IBM faced criticism after its ads were identified adjacent to pro-Nazi content on X. Responding to the situation, IBM took swift action, expressing strong disapproval and immediately halting all advertising on the platform pending an investigation.
X's Response
In a social media update on Friday, X CEO Linda Yaccarino emphasized the platform's unequivocal commitment to combating antisemitism and discrimination, asserting that there is no place for such ideologies anywhere in the world.
The New York Times reported that Musk made a clear statement on Friday evening, stating that anyone advocating for the genocide of any group will face suspension from the platform. Media Matters, a watchdog group, revealed this week that ads from Apple, Comcast, NBC, Oracle, and IBM had been displayed alongside similar content.
A representative from X confirmed that the pro-Nazi accounts flagged in the Media Matters report from Thursday will now be ineligible for monetization. This implies that advertisements will no longer be displayed on those particular pages.
On Friday, the White House openly condemned Musk for his tweets, with White House spokesperson Andrew Bates deeming it unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of Antisemitism in American history at any time.
Bates seemed to be alluding to the tragic mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, where 11 individuals lost their lives at the hands of a gunman who subscribed to the antisemitic "white genocide" conspiracy theory.
